Catharine Amanda Bryan was born in Georgia, probably Houston County, on August 17, 1834. She was the second daughter born to my
great-great-grandparents, Reddick Bryan and
Elizabeth Regan. What I know about Catharine Amanda Bryan has been gleaned
from conveyance records, census records, and a few documented and undocumented sources. The
Bryan family moved to Northwest Louisiana in the late 1830s and settled near
what was later known as Ringgold in the Parish of Bienville. At age 14, on
August 9, 1849, Catharine Amanda Bryan married James C. Watts.

In 1858, Catharine Amanda's father-in-law, Richard I. Watts, gave his entire estate, valued
at over two thousand dollars to Catharine Amanda and his daughter, Lurany S.
Ezell. Some land transactions and sales followed.

James C. Watts died before August 21, 1867. On documents found in his
probate record, the
earliest dated August 21, 1867, Catharine A. Bryan was listed as his widow
and C. A. Watts was also listed as the "Natural Tutrix" of her children.
Catharine's half brother, James Bryan, was listed as the "Under Tutor" for
the minor children of James C. Watts. The children were listed as Edmund
Bryan, Alice Elizabeth, Sarah Catharine, and Martha Caldwell Watts.

Catharine Amanda Bryan was referred to as "Amanda" and as "Manda" in
family letters and other documents. Manda Watts was found in the 1870 census
living with children, Edmond Watts-age 17, Alice Watts - age 13, and Martha
Watts - age 4. A daughter, Sarah Watts was living with Catharine
Amanda's sister, Georgia Ann Frances Bryan Pitman Wimberly. Catharine Amanda remained close to her
family as most of her neighbors listed on the census page were family
members.

In 1873, Catharine Amanda Bryan Watts was listed in a conveyance record as
the wife of J.B. Thomas and a resident of Bienville Parish. Red River Parish
marriage records show that a Amanda C. Watts married G. B. Thomas on
January 7, 1873. This matches the notes in my family bible. Catharine
Amanda was recorded as "C. A. Bryan Watts Thomas."

On
April 11, 1875, Amanda Watts was counted as present at a church meeting held
at the Liberty Chapel in Bienville Parish. Most members of the chapel were
descendants of Reddick Bryan and Elizabeth Regan, Amanda's parents. Also on
the list were Mrs. Alice Huckaby and E. B. Watts, probable children of
Catharine Amanda Watts.

In 1877, Mrs. C. A. Watts was
listed on the membership list of Pleasant Grove Church. A notation
next to her name and many others, including Hammetts, indicate that they
were being transferred to Davis Springs, a Methodist Church in Natchitoches.
C. A. Watts was listed on the membership list of the Davis Springs Methodist
Church in Natchitoches Parish in 1879. Her sister, Dollie Hammett, was also
on that list. Dollie and her husband, Robert E. Hammett were active members
of the church. Catherine Amanda was also listed as a member of the the
church in 1881 as Mrs. C. A. Watts and in 1892 as Watts, C. Amanda.

I was not able to locate Catharine Amanda Bryan Watts Thomas on the 1880
census; however, a Mrs. Wetts was living with Catherine's sister, Dollie
Hammett, and family in Natchitoches Parish. Mrs. Wetts was listed as a daughter, but the
information about her birth in GA and that she was listed as a widow leads
me to believe that she is probably Catherine Amanda. In 1881, a conveyance record indicated that she was living in
Natchitoches Parish. Mrs. C. A. Watts was acting as attorney in fact
for her daughter, "Mattie" Tolbert, signing a land transaction in Bienville
Parish. Catharine Amanda's other children all signed this transaction. The
daughters all had husbands who were mentioned in the conveyance record and
authorized their wives actions. No mention was made of Catharine
Amanda's husband in this land transaction. This, and her use of the
Watts surname only two years after her marriage, lead me to believe that she did not remain married. Further
research is needed to confirm this.

Catharine Amanda Bryan died on September 14, 1903 at age 69. This date was
found a transcription of records found in Joseph B. Bryan's family Bible. Her name was written as "C. A. Watts" in the Bible. I
currently don't know where she died or where she is buried. I have not found
a record of her on the 1900 census.

James C. Watts

James C. Watts was
the son of Richard Ivey Watts and Sally Clements. I know only a little about
James C. Watts. In 1849, he married Catharine Amanda Bryan. James C.
Watts and his wife have not been found in the 1850 census. I have been
told that he was Election Commissioner in 1857 in Ringgold. There were many
Watts in Bienville Parish including at least one other James Watts.
Richard Ivey Watts and Sally Clements were the parents of about ten
children. It is unknown how many of these children lived in Bienville
Parish.

James C. Watts served in the 9th Infantry Regiment of the Louisiana
Volunteers during the Civil War. He joined Company C, the Bienville
Blues, in 1861 and was discharged in 1862 as he was over 35 years of age.
Georgia Ann Frances Bryan Pitman, sister of Catharine Amanda, referred to
James C. Watts as "Jim Watts" in a letter to Spann Ragan in which she wrote
" I had like to of forgotten to say to you Jim Watts was also in the Army.
He is in Virginia at Manassas. His time will be out in June."
Also serving in the Bienville Blues were a
Calvin J. Watts, John D. Watts,
and
Joseph Watts. Their relationship to James C. Watts is unknown.

James C. Watts died prior to August 21, 1867, the earliest date found in
his probate record.

Note:
While trying to sort through the Watts family, I found land that appeared to
be deeded from Calvin Jones Watts and Edward Clay Watts of Lincoln Parish to
Robert T. Watts of Bienville Parish in exchange for the care of their
widowed mother, Harriet S. Watts (Harriet Brown wife of deceased, W.B.Watts) and widowed sister, Mrs. S. A. Mims
(wife of deceased, W. D. Mims), both who
resided in Bienville Parish. This deed indicated that Robert Turner Watts,
Edward Clay Watts, Calvin Jones Watts, and Susan A.Watts Mims were siblings.

Note:
Joseph T. Watts, of the 9th Infantry, Company C, died, of disease, on July 4, 1862 at
Lynchburg, Virginia.

Children of Catharine
Amanda Bryan and James C. Watts

The probate record filed on
September 7, 1867, children of James C. Watts and Catharine
Amanda Bryan were Sarah Catharine Watts, Edmond Bryan Watts, Alice
Elizabeth Watts, and Martha Caldwell Watts. Probate records and transcriptions of conveyance
records, letters, and other documents that were used as sources for this
information can be viewed by clicking on the titles of the documents that
are listed at the bottom of this page.

Edmund Bryan Watts

I have seen this child referred to as Edmond, Edmund,
Edward, Edmond Bryan Watts and E. B. Watts. He was first found at age 17, on the 1870 census,
living with his mother, "Manda" Watts. Born in 1853, he was
the oldest child of James C. Watts and Catharine Amanda Bryan.

In 1873, Catharine Amanda's brother, Tilman C. Bryan and
his wife, Mildred R. Manning, sold a tract of land to the heirs of C. A.
Bryan. Edmund B. Watts and his sisters, Alice, Martha, and Sarah were
listed as the heirs. The property was to be equally divided between the
heirs. Joseph B. Bryan, brother of Catharine Amanda, and E. B. Watts were
given control of the land until the youngest child became of proper age or
before, if appropriate. In 1881, this same land was sold to John L.
Wimberly by the same persons listed above. However, on this record, Edmund
B. Watts was written as Edward B. Watts.

In a letter written in 1914, Sally Bryan Hammett listed
all of Reddick Bryan's living children and grandchildren. She wrote, "Aunt Manda
has cousin Alice cousin Kate, and Mattie" indicating that by 1914, Edmund B.
Watts had died.

In 1880, an Edmund B. Watts, age 27 was found on census
page 614B in Bienville Parish. He and his wife, Martha, had four children
listed; Frances A., James C., Sarah C., and Lucy T. Watts. Edmond Watts
and Martha Wimberly are buried in the Wimberly Cemetery. A picture of
the grave can be found on my page containing Bryan family cemetery photographs.

Alice Elizabeth Watts

Alice Watts was born in May of
1857. In 1870, she was living in Bienville Parish with her mother,
Manda Watts. In 1873, she was listed as a heir of C. A. Watts on a
Bienville conveyance record. This land was sold in 1881 and on that
conveyance record she is listed as Alice Watts, wife of Green H. Huckaby.
In 1880, Alice Huckaby, age 22, was living in Bienville Parish with
her husband G. H. Huckaby and their children; Joseph, Amanda, and Martha. In
1900 she was again found in Bienville Parish. She was living with her
husband of 27 years and reported that nine of her eleven children were
living.

Alice died in 1942. She and her husband are buried in Old
Castor Cemetery.

Sarah Catharine Watts

Sarah Catharine Watts was born in March 1860.
In 1870, Sarah Watts was living with her Aunt, Georgia Ann Frances Bryan
Pitman Wimberly. Elastus Stewart is found on the same census page.
Elastus Stewart and Sarah Catharine Watts were married around 1875.
I find it interesting that their first child was named James Pitman Stewart.
James Pitman was the first husband of Georgia Ann Frances Bryan. He was
killed in action during the Civil War. In 1880, Elastus Stewart and his wife
"Katie" were living in Bienville Parish with their children James and Sarah.

In 1900, she was listed as Sarah C. and six children were living in the
home; Sarah E., Thomas E., Alice C., John H., Martha "Mattie Lou," and Mary
Lou. Sarah and Elastus reported that they had been married 25 years and that
all seven of their children were living. In 1910, the Stewart family was
living in Bienville Parish. Sarah was again listed as "Kate." Three of
their seven children remained living in the home. Sarah died on March 10,
1932 in Bienville Parish, Louisiana.

Martha Caldwell Watts

Martha Caldwell Watts is the youngest child of James C. Watts and
Catharine Amanda Bryan. Census records indicate that she was born in
February of 1866. I have also seen her name written as Martha Watts, Mattie
Watts. Martha Cauldwell Watts, Mattie S. Watts and Mattie L. Watts. In 1870, she is
listed as living with her mother "Manda" Watts.

In 1873, Catharine Amanda's brother, Tilman C. Bryan and
his wife, Mildred R. Manning, sold a tract of land to the heirs of C. A.
Bryan. Edmund B. Watts and his sisters, Alice, Martha, and Sarah were
listed as the heirs. The property was to be equally divided between the
heirs. Joseph B. Bryan, brother of Catharine Amanda, and E. B. Watts were
given control of the land until the youngest child became of proper age or
before if appropriate. In 1881, this same land was sold to John L.
Wimberly by the same persons listed above; however, this time, Martha was
listed as Mattie L. Watts, wife of Jeff D. Tolbert of Natchitoches Parish.
Mattie did not sign the record. She gave power of attorney to her mother, C.
A. Watts who signed the transaction.

In 1880, a Martha Watts was living with the James C.
Penny/Perry family in Bienville Parish. Her position was listed as a
servant. In 1880, Jeff Tolbert was a laborer on the farm owned by E. E.
Hammett, son of Robert E. Hammett and Dorothea "Dollie" Bryan.
Dollie was a sister to
Catharine Amanda Bryan. Mattie married Jeff D. Tolbert between June of 1880
and June of 1881. In 1900, Mattie Tolbert was living in Natchitoches
Parish with her husband, Jeff D. Tolbert. They had been married 18 years and
reported that 7of 10 children were living. Children listed on the 1900
census were one daughter, Mary Ann and sons, Marion, Doty, Leon, Fitz-hugh,
Burnett, and Earnest.

The Louisiana Statewide Death Index,
1900-49 at Ancestry.com listed a Mattie W. Tolbert, age 69, who died on
December 8, 1934 in Caddo Parish, Louisiana.

Conveyance
Records, Letters, and Other Documents at this site that mention Catharine
Amanda Bryan and her family